Hen's Night

Yes, I said "hen's night". What is that, you say? That is the Kiwi version of a bachelorette party. The male counterpart, or bachelor party, is referred to as a "stag do." Last weekend I attended the pre-wedding festivities for one of the youth leaders in the church, including a "kitchen tea" (AKA bridal shower) and the hen's night.

Having attended many and recently been through my own, I was curious how it would compare to what I have experienced in America. I found that it was actually quite similar! The kitchen tea involved the ever-popular toilet paper wedding dress contest (with a few added frills), the "memorize the items on a platter" game, contributing a favorite recipe, and kitchen-related gifts. We also played a traditional Kiwi game called "Pass the parcel", which is played at children's parties. You pass a wrapped package around the circle to music, and when the music stops, the person holding it unwraps a layer, finding a small piece of candy taped to the next layer of wrapping. The music resumes, the package is passed, and the process is repeated over and over until the gift is finally revealed.

The hen's night games included another toilet paper dress contest, writing the order of events in planning a wedding, the one where the bride answers questions about her groom the way he answered them, a fun "what if" game, and a scavenger hunt of sorts. We went out and took photos doing silly things like the congo line across the street, standing in the roundabout, sitting with a group of strangers at their dinner table...while wearing the bridal veil and sash. It was fun to be a part of my first hen's night, and it reminded me of my own festivities not so long ago!

In other news, my job is going well. I enjoy the random odd jobs I do for it and I enjoy the women I work with. I drive their work vehicles occasionally, so yesterday I finally got my New Zealand driver's license! We are looking forward to Kris' parents coming for a visit in a month as well.

Random note: I have found A&W root beer (made in Malaysia) and Reese's Peanut Butter cups at the Asian market. Seems a strange place to find those things, but it makes me happy!

Finally, a job!

We have now been in New Zealand for over 6 months! It is hard to believe; at times it seems like longer than that. We do feel quite settled, which is the question we are asked most often.

The big news is that I now have a job! I am working in the office of Open Home Foundation, a Christian social work organization in downtown Lower Hutt. I will be working 10 hours a week, on Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons. This is totally an answer to prayer in every way! I found out about the job when the lady who I am replacing came by the church office one day when I was there to inform them that OHF was looking for someone for this position. Since I was there, she gave me name and phone number of the person to call. I did so, and she talked to the boss about me. That weekend, I spent further time talking with this lady about the job, which she painted in a great light. The next week I filled out the application, which was unlike any other application I have ever filled out. They asked things like, "What does being a Christian mean to you?" and "How does your mission/vision/values fit in with ours?" (which were very Christ--centered). I went in for an interview the next week, and again I was asked some unique questions. They called the next day and offered me the job, and I accepted right away! The hours are perfect: enough, but not so much that I can't keep doing the things I'm already doing. The location is perfect: right by the bus stop. The environment is perfect: the ladies are all very friendly, and we start each day with a praise, prayer, and devotional time.

It has been worth waiting this long to find the right job! I started this past week, training with the lady I'm replacing, and I think it will be a great thing.

Camp, Easter, & the coming of Winter

The weekend before Easter Knox had its first family camp in years at El Rancho, less than an hour from Lower Hutt on the west coast. Many asked us if we have church camps back home, to which we replied that they look pretty much the same as the one here. Bunks, the large mess hall, a confidence course and other outdoor activities, a cafe and canteen, music, and even the "camp concert" (like a talent show). It rained most of Saturday (the kids didn't mind at all), which led to most of the adults spending time in conversation and indoor games. It was a really neat time where we were able to get to know some people better than we could have on a Sunday morning after church. The speaker, a man in the church who runs Global Volunteer Network, spoke to us about loving God with our whole hearts. After 3 sessions, there was definitely a sense of renewed desire to grow closer to God. The highlight of Saturday evening's camp concert was an original composition of "God Loves Scandinavians" played on the piano accordion!

In New Zealand, Good Friday and Easter are public holidays, as well as Easter Monday. In addition, this year Easter Monday falls on ANZAC Day (Australia New Zealand Army Corps), the day when they remember the fallen soldiers at Gallipoli. As a result, everything was closed on Friday, Sunday, and at least the first half of Monday. I found it interesting that in the US, a "Christian nation", we no longer celebrate Good Friday as a public holiday. Here, because Easter is a long weekend (and this year at the end of the 2-week school holiday), many people go away for awhile.

On Thursday, Knox had a Tenebrae service; it was a contemplative service alternating readings from the Gospels with singing a verse from "When I Survey" with moments of reflection, with the lights gradually dimming throughout the service. After the last reading, the lights went out to signify to death of Jesus...but only briefly. To end the service, a candle was lit to remind us that it didn't stay dark for long. Friday morning we had a Good Friday service, which was more of a traditional family service. On Sunday we had a combined service in the big hall, complete with a child dedication. After service, we had the pastor and his wife over, as well as a new friend, an American girl who is going to university in Wellington. I made a ham (my first one), and sweet potato casserole, which they eyed suspiciously...it seemed quite strange to them that you would combine "sweet and savory" foods like kumara (sweet potato) and marshmallows!

In other news...winter has arrived. It has been cold and raining, and thus it is cold and damp in the house. No insulation + no central heat + humidity = me wearing lots of layers in the house! We just purchased an electric blanket and are looking forward to using it!

A taste of New Zealand

It has been brought to my attention that I am overdue for another blog entry; I often forget to write when we don't have any trips or events to tell about. Well, the other night we had an event that triggered an idea in my mind--the foods we have come to like and dislike in NZ, and the foods we miss most from the US.

There is a great farmer's market in town that runs every Saturday year round, and the produce is half the cost of the produce in the stores. Last week, we decided we should be a bit adventurous and try some new, unknown items, so we picked up passion fruit and tamarillos. We're still waiting to try the passion fruit since it wasn't ripe yet, but we did go for the tamarillos. They are small reddish-orange "fruits" in the tomato, potato, eggplant, and bell pepper family:

When we bit into them we almost spit it back out! I just can't even explain the taste, but it's not one I want to experience again. Maybe it was bad because we expected them to be sweet like fruit! We have learned some new names for some produce as well: zucchini = courgette, bell pepper = capsicum, Swiss chard = silverbeet, sweet potato = kumara. Sometimes I come across US recipes where it's hard (or impossible) to find the equivalent here. Like graham crackers--I have not been able to find them anywhere! I know, this is tragic!

Feijoas are another unique Kiwi fruit. You cut them in half and scoop out the inside, like a kiwifruit. They are like a combination between a kiwifruit, pear, and apple...yet that doesn't quite describe it. I heard someone at church today describe it as "sandy perfume"! Kris likes them, but the jury is still out for me. We did make feijoa poppyseed muffins that were tasty!

Here are some other Kiwi foods that we like:

-Sausages: to be placed diagonally on a slice of white bread with onions and tomato sauce (ketchup); the "sausage sizzle" is the iconic Kiwi fundraiser event

-pavlova: a meringue-like dessert slathered with whipped cream, strawberries, and kiwifruit

-pies: as in meat pies! When you talk about pies here, it's not referring to fruit pies. Rather, it's small meat and veggie filled pastry crust, like mini pot pies

A Kiwi food we don't particularly like:

-Marmite: similar to VegeMite (the Australian version); it's a yeast spread that they put on toast or crackers. Thick, dark, salty, very strong!

What we miss from the US:

-Lucky Charms and Peanut Butter Captain Crunch!

-Cheetos and Fritos

-Rubio's fish tacos

-the bottomless cup of coffee

-flavored coffee creamer (not the powdered kind)

-Jiff peanut butter

-Kraft mac and cheese

-Dairy Queen blizzards

All in all, it has been a good culinary experience so far. One of my first big trips to the grocery store, I was almost in tears--overwhelmed by the different brands and names for things, the prices, learning a new place and new measurements. I have come a long ways! Sometimes I have to improvise, but that's what cooking is all about. Mom bought me my first Kiwi cookbook, and I look forward to trying out some new recipes here, and when we come back for a visit.

Coromandel to Queenstown by Carol

Queenstown Lake

Serpentine Hills, location of "Plains of Rohan" filming
New Chums Beach, Coromandel
View of Tairua estuary, from cottage on Mt. Paku

Just days after arriving in NZ, Megan, Kris & I drove up to the Coromandal Peninsula east of Aukland to see his brother Andy whose wife had just given birth to their 3rd boy. How great for me to get to meet them and see Kris with his brother, plus now I know who they are when Megan talks about them. Our lodging there was a little apartment high on a hill with a view of the beach & high hills dense with bush at Tairua -- a place I could only dream of being before this! We had one good day of weather here that gave us a chance to explore beautiful New Chums Beach. A bit isolated, we had a trek to get to it & were the only ones there until we left. Between Wellington & Tairua we passed by the NZ ironman marathoners at Taupo and waded in hot thermal waters by Huku Falls on the Waikato River. Driving affords the opportunity to really see the land even if it means feeling carsick from the narrow, winding roads of the north island!

Then an unexpected opportunity came for Megan & I to spend a week on the southern end of the south island with jenny from her church. Two days travel each way from Wellington means lots of new scenery! Our road trip began with a 3 hour ferry ride through Cook Strait separating the north island from the south. The bush (dense foliage) covered the steep hills right down to the water and dolphins swam near Pictin (northern tip of southern island). The more south we drive the straighter the roads became (compared to the winding of the northern island). So much new scenery for the senses to absorb! Two opportunities with our host:

Jenny's husband, Simon, is a geologist here in Alexandra for gold mining and took us along to inspect a site at 3,000 feet in the Serpentine area of Central Otago. The fascinating rock formations there were the site of filming the Plains of Rohan in Lord of the Rings "Two Towers" where the people are running toward Helms Deep. The landscape is treeless and dry, and the one lane, deeply rutted and very bumpy road is only navigable by 4 wheel drive. And it was in that setting that we stopped for our "tailgate" tea time from the back of his pickup truck! What a wonderful adventure! The next day Jenny & Simon drove us to Queenstown one and a half hours from Alexandra. Queenstown is a ritzy ski resort on a beautiful lake surrounded by steep, treeless mountains, and is a tourist mecca for the whole country. A college town feel with people enjoying the sunshine in the outdoor seating of the many cafes, an artist outside painting and musicians hoping you'll drop some coins in their instrument case. On the outskirts of the town we stopped at the 1880's bridge that was the birthplace of bungy jumping and watched several brave souls plunge head first toward the aqua water of the gorge. We are so grateful for Jenny & Simon hosting and chauffeuring us!

Carol's Impressions written by Carol

Tea time on the road (by the waterfall above, on the tailgate below)

Everyone hangs their clothes out to dry

Weet-bix, the favorite Kiwi cereal

NZ consists of 2 large islands & I have been from the NE end of the northern island to the south central end of the southern island -- from the Coromandel Peninsula to the town of Queenstown. Here are my impressions from my travels: Fascinating & unique topographical features crowd this small nation -- dense foliage over steep hillsides to steep grassy knolls; mountains bare of trees to aqua rivers. I have heard the mechanical sounding Tui bird & learned that possum fur makes beautiful yarn. I will not complain about the price of gas in MT because it is about $6 a gallon here! I have picked kiwi fruit and learned new names for common vegies. I do not like the Marmite spread (80% yeast) or WeetBix cereal that most Kiwi's love, but I do love their little meat pies sold everywhere and tea time with biscuits (cookies). Sheep outnumber people 7 to 1 and I love the fluffy Marino sheep of the south island. I have become quite used to the driving on the other side of the road as long as we are going straight, but right hand turns and the roundabouts that are everywhere still throw me! Megan wants me to try driving before I leave! When I get in the front seat on the left side I still expect there to be a steering wheel there! I love that I have 5 weeks here because besides seeing a lot, I have lots of time to just shadow Megan's kiwi life. Because of that I feel like I live here! I have gone to the grocery store and the play group where she assists, a Bible study with a few friends and watched her coach a volleyball team of 14 year old girls in a private school. Her life as it happens is my life as it happens. And the bonus is lots of time to watch her married life which I had seen so little of with her either in Arizona or New Zealand.

Christchurch Earthquake, 22/02/2011 - A Tribute.